Guns And Hoses

I heard someone ask last night about the Guns And Hoses intermission contest, and they wanted to know when it was scheduled.  Well, the annual tug-a-war on ice between Houston area fire and police departments will be this coming Monday night.

It's Bikini Night

As if you needed more of a reason to attend tonight's game, it's the annual Bikini Contest tonight. And no, Heidi Klum won't be here, damn it, but she really knows how to wear a bikini.

Some Comments From Jamie Spencer -- VP of Business Operations

With everything that’s been going on with the Aeros the past several weeks, we’ve been trying to take some time to talk to various people associated with the team. Since I’ve built up some relationships with the people on the business side, that’s who I’ve been talking to. They can’t give a lot of information on what’s happening hockey wise, but I thought you might like some information on what they want to do for the game experience once the season starts.

So here’s some information that I got from Jamie Spencer who is the Aeros Vice President of Business Operations.

Let’s start with one of the biggest complaints: the lack of replays on weeknight games. Spencer says the team would like very much to have replays for every game, and that he will be meeting with the people who run Toyota Center in a few weeks to discuss several matters for this season, including replays.

“I remember that from my first game. I looked up and there were no replays,” Spencer said. “But like everything else, we’re trying to run a solid business, and everything cost money so we’re trying to assess where we spend our dollars.”

Another issue that’s being assessed is if, and the number of, games that will be shown on television this season. “We’d love to have every game on TV if we could,” he said. “What we need to do there is do a better of job of sponsorship in order to move the needle and get some TV games and some exposure….that’s something we’re assessing right now, to decide if it’s worth it and how many games that would mean, because exposure is something that we’re really working on.”

Spencer loves the fans in Houston and thinks that the team has a great core for a fan base: “I see some very passionate fans in Houston that remind me of the season ticket holders here in Minnesota,” he said. But he wants to expand this fan base and they are exploring ways to make this happen.

The team wants to focus on improving the fan experience this season, and once the schedule is released, they’re going to get down to figuring out all of the promotions for the season. Returning promotions will probably include Chilipalooza, Guns-and-Hoses, Military Night, and so on. And Bikini Night will definitely be back.

“I know the Bikini Contest has become a fan favorite,” Spencer said. “The thing in Houston is we want to keep an affordable family atmosphere, we also want to have some fun with it, too. The weekends and weeknights are different there, as you’ve seen. We really try to put a good mix of promotions together that appeal to a wide audience.”

The team is also looking at adding Ice Girls to the mix to go with the Aero Dynamics. But he’s not sure if the Ice Girls would come from within the Dynamics, or be a different squad.

Spencer is aware that there are fans here in Houston who are upset about some of the changes that have occurred with the team’s roster and staff. And while he’s not on hockey side of the operation, he did have some comments.

“The big thing [with the Aeros] is that we’re trying to develop players that can move up to the Minnesota team,” he said. “The players that have moved up here, many have contributed. It seems like each year we get guys who become everyday NHL players. Development is a huge part of that.”

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“It’s really hard for me to answer this because I don’t make the roster decisions,” he continued. “The only thing I can say is that we are continuing to want to win in Houston.…we made offers to everybody we could. Some of these guys after having successful seasons, they get more money going other places or are more marketable now….It’s not that we didn’t want to sign them, it’s that they’re getting more money to go to other places.”

And Chuck Fletcher and Jim Mill “want to make sure that [Wild coach] Todd Richards is comfortable with anybody we sign. If needed, and someone gets called up, that Todd would be comfortable putting them in the system. And when you change your system, you probably change rosters more than normal.”

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“It’s been a long time since we’ve had a fresh look. Some fans might get nervous about that, and other fans get excited -- and I hope that they’re getting excited because there’s been a lot of change. Specifically on the hockey side of our business. And that isn’t a bad thing….so I think this new group is going to bring a different look and a different feel, and it make some time for the fans to understand what that means.”

Another video

Ice Girls Seem Like A Nice Idea to Me

Thursday's game with the Iowa Stars was really a rather boring affair. So boring that those of us up in the "press box" were discussing whether Family Guy is funny -- I was the only one to say no, but at least Eric Cartman agrees with me. Then Marco Rosa, I believe, was making a play with the puck on the boards by the Iowa bench, but instead of moving freely and flowing toward the goal, the puck got caught up in the ice shavings/snow gathering at the boards.

That's when Heather -- yes, Heather, not me, Heather -- stated that the Aeros really needed some Ice Girls. Now I've long been of this opinion, but that's just because I like to pretty women. But as Heather noted, the NHL Ice Girls are often out on the ice during breaks in play taking care of the ice and scraping away the snow and shavings that gather on the boards and in front of the net.

So why shouldn't the Aeros get some Ice Girls? Sure, they've got the Lady Dynamics. But the Lady Dynamics are a cheer squad, and the Ice Girls exist for only two reasons, and none of those reasons involve cheering -- the reasons are looking pretty in skimpy outfits and taking care of the ice.

Between periods, we were introduced to the Aeros new VP. And when he asked if there was anything we needed, I went with Ice Girls. Surprisingly, he agreed since, he said, Ice Girls are big in the south -- though note that the Blackhawks, Islanders and Blue Jackets, not exactly southern teams, have Ice Girls.

But I think for this to actually become a reality, the fans are going to have ask for Ice Girls. So how about it? Should the Aeros actually get Ice Girls for next season? Heather wants them for working on the ice. I want them because I like pretty women in skimpy clothing. But it's not enough that the press agrees on this matter. What do you, the fans think?

Just A Thought

You know, I've read about teams that paint their ice pink when they have their Breast Cancer Awareness games. So this got me to thinking last night, during the Aeros Lyme Disease night, that maybe they should have painted the ice lime green. The coaches were wearing lime green shirts and ties, Krys Kolanos had a lime green stripe on his socks. The Lady Dynamics rocked the lime green, and in pregame warmups, the guys wrapped their sticks with lime green tape.

So why not go all of the way? Lime green ice.

How about it? Who's with me? Lime green ice. Right? The pink ice is becoming rather common now, but lime green, I don't think that's ever been done. Just think of the media coverage the team will get.

The Aeros Go To The Dogs Causing Me To Howl

I got an e-mail from a fellow Aeros fan the other day, howling about the team's newest promotion. And seeing as how the promotion involves dogs, then howling is the appropriate word to describe the outrage.

For those not in the know, the details are simple. On Friday, April 2nd, the Aeros are holding Chilly's Pet Pals night. The Humane Society will set up on the concourses and try to find good homes for dogs. But the howling outrage comes from the fact that the Aeros are also inviting fans to bring their own dogs to the game, and they're going to open a special section of the stands for people who bring their dogs.

Now those of us who have pet allergies aren't given a vote in this thing. And neither are fans who, you know, actually want to come and watch a hockey game. I know this is minor league hockey, and that minor league sports is all about wacky promotions, but I just don't like this idea. And based on some of the e-mails I've received, like from my howling friend, there are a bunch of Aeros fans out there who don't like this idea, either.

I know the Aeros need some promo ideas to sell tickets, though. And I thought that I could help by offering a few ideas of my own, stolen, of course, from other teams.

For instance, on April 7, the Phoenix Coyotes are hosting the St. Louis Blues. And anyone who purchases a 1.75-liter bottle of Smirnoff Vodka gets a free ticket to the game. Now note, the alcohol is not being sold at the game, so hopefully this means that there won't be a bunch of drunks showing up for the game, or leaving the game. But I live by Spec's. I bet if the Aeros were to offer this deal that Toyota Center would be packed every night -- at least based on some of the purchases that I've witnessed.

But my favorite idea, and one that I really want the Aeros to adopt is the Over-18 Night that the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL will soon be offering. Among the many things the Wranglers will be doing that night, besides the $20 dollar open bar and the later starting time is the Stripper 101 contest that they'll be having on the concourses. If I understand it correctly, there will be no actual stripping, just women be taught how to work the pole.

I'd really like to see the Aeros go with this idea. But I'd like to change it up just a bit. With Houston being a huge strip club capital, and being how the team always gets a huge crowd for the Miss Aeros Bikini Contest, I really think that, instead of having a bunch of kids sing "God Bless America" for the 15,000th time, or doing that stupid chin-up thing, or the samurai hockey, is for them to have a stripper contest on the ice. Now I'm not advocating nudity. The women would just strip down to say a bikini while working the pole. But I think this would give the many women who work in the strip clubs in this city a chance to work in the daylight, and it might really get a big crowd if some of their customers come over to watch them. And instead of charging a ticket price, maybe the Aeros could just charge a cover fee.

Oh well. It's just an idea. But really, it's better than going to the dogs, isn't it?